About Cal Skinner

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A press release from McHenry County Board member John Reinert: Reinert: Alternatives to McHenry High School Board’s Tax Hike Proposal Unexplored CRYSTAL LAKE – McHenry County Board member John Reinert is urging voters in McHenry High School District 156 to … Continue reading →

“Follow the money.” That was the strategy of the Washington Post reporters in their Watergate investigation. A week ago I sent a Freedom of Information request to McHenry Township asking for payments since the beginning of 2017 to any of … Continue reading →

The committee to hike taxes in McHenry High School District 156 got $2,000 from each of the car dealers in McHenry, so they are rolling in cash. Until now, no opposition has reared its head except, McHenry County Board member … Continue reading →

Cary Grade School President Scott Coffey has a suggestion for the McHenry High School board: Given that D-47 just issued $9.2 million in bonds in June with roughly an average yield of 3.0%, a similar rate on D-156’s $44 million … Continue reading →

From McHenry County Blog reader Mark, who has return after too long an absence: One of the big problems in school district reorganizations is what to do about the pay of employees in the lower paid district, which in this … Continue reading →

McHenry County Board John Reinert has researched how the McHenry High School Board could meet the needs of its students without voters approving the borrowing of $44 million. That is the amount of the bond issue on the November ballot … Continue reading →

On Tuesday, the McHenry High School Tax Hike Committee, calling itself the McHenry District 156 Vote YES for Lower Taxes and Better Schools, scored $9,150 more in campaign contributions. Here is where they came from $2,000 – Sunnyside Company [Chrysler, … Continue reading →

The majority of the financing for the $44 million bond issue being pushed by the McHenry High School Board is coming from companies who sell goods and services to District 156. Of the $5,000 in contributions reported to the State … Continue reading →

It appeared in a comment under this article (McHenry High School Tax Hike Committee Wants Yes Vote To Keep Taxes from Maximum Decrease, Vote NO and cut your taxes by $325 a year!). To the Editor: Let’s make this simple … Continue reading →

The McHenry District 156 Vote Yes for Lower Taxes and Better Schools committee has a campaign that is a naked attempt to deceive voters into missing out on a really big tax cut in 2020. The District currently levies about … Continue reading →

From McHenry County Board member Chuck Wheeler: Chuck Wheeler on McHenry Referendum Questions First the City of McHenry placed a referendum on the November ballot to fund a $30 million water park and rec center. As if that’s not enough, … Continue reading →

Right after this year’s real estate tax bills arrived in mailboxes, McHenry County Blog showed how school districts’ tax levies compared with the previous two years’ levies. A Friend of McHenry County Blog did the heavy lifting in manipulating this … Continue reading →

When Steve Bellmore, the candidate selected to knock Jack Franks critique Chuck Wheeler off the County Board, filled out his questionnaire for the Northwest Herald, he gave an incomplete answer to the following question: Elected office held: Bellmore’s reply was … Continue reading →

Here’s the report made by McHenry High School District 156 Board candidate Arnie Waltmire: $5,000 – Waltmire, Arne, Occupation: Teacher, Employer: Community High School District 155. Previously Waltmire ran unsuccessfully for McHenry County College Board and the McHenry County Board. Interestingly, Waltmire … Continue reading →

The end of session report from State Rep. Barbara Wheeler: The Wheeler 64 Report: July 1, 2016 New FY17 Spending Bills will Enable Full K-12 School Operations for Entire School Year The General Assembly took action on June 30 to … Continue reading →